Asian - American theater had its beginnings in America during the 1800’s. Mostly Chinese immigrants had crossed the sea seeking wealth through the gold rush that gripped California. Puppets, operas and acrobatic acts that were traditional to China crossed as well, and the Chinese immigrants openly embraced this small piece of home. These immigrants started chinatowns across the United States, and their theatrical influence travelled with them. The first theater company to tour the United States was the Tung Hook Tung in 1852. In the economic depression of the 1870’s, much blame was placed on the Chinese immigrants for this disfortune. As a result anti-Chinese violence, many Chinese fled the west coast into other parts of the country, bringing their influence with them. From this stemmed new Chinatowns, and new chinese theaters. By 1900 professional Chinese opera theaters were in operation in New York, Portland, Boston, and San Francisco. Thirty years later, these opera houses changed to become more relevant to the time; they became Chinese - language movie theaters. Thought these cinemas existed, there was a sore lack of Asian - Americans in lead roles, or in any roles at all, save a few minor roles of the servant or peasant. This correlated with American theater at the time: there were some plays that centered around Asian themes, like The First Born, Mikado, and The King and I, but these main roles were never played by Asian actors, but by the Caucasian actors famous during the time. Finding a big lack of meaningful work for Asian - American actors in 1965, Alberto Isaacs, Mako, and others founded the East West Players in Los Angeles. This theater company, however, lacked new Asian - American plays being written. Less than ten years later, The Asian Exclusion Act theater Seattle and the Asian American Theater Workshop in San Francisco, began developing plays that were written by Asian - American playwrights, for Asian - Americans. They voiced the opinion of Asian - Americans on the politics and society of their time, and how it specifically affected them as Asian - Americans. From this, came the first Asian - American playwright to have a major production in New York in 1972: Chickencoop Chinaman by Frank Chin. In recent years, some Asian - American playwrights have written popular plays not just for the Asian - American community, but for all audiences, and have found great popularity. One of these playwrights is David Henry Hwang who has had his plays performed on Broadway.
Asian - American theater had its beginnings in America during the 1800’s. Mostly Chinese immigrants had crossed the sea seeking wealth through the gold rush that gripped California. Puppets, operas and acrobatic acts that were traditional to China crossed as well, and the Chinese immigrants openly embraced this small piece of home. These immigrants started chinatowns across the United States, and their theatrical influence travelled with them. The first theater company to tour the United States was the Tung Hook Tung in 1852.
In the economic depression of the 1870’s, much blame was placed on the Chinese immigrants for this disfortune. As a result anti-Chinese violence, many Chinese fled the west coast into other parts of the country, bringing their influence with them. From this stemmed new Chinatowns, and new chinese theaters. By 1900 professional Chinese opera theaters were in operation in New York, Portland, Boston, and San Francisco. Thirty years later, these opera houses changed to become more relevant to the time; they became Chinese - language movie theaters. Thought these cinemas existed, there was a sore lack of Asian - Americans in lead roles, or in any roles at all, save a few minor roles of the servant or peasant. This correlated with American theater at the time: there were some plays that centered around Asian themes, like The First Born, Mikado, and The King and I, but these main roles were never played by Asian actors, but by the Caucasian actors famous during the time.
Finding a big lack of meaningful work for Asian - American actors in 1965, Alberto Isaacs, Mako, and others founded the East West Players in Los Angeles. This theater company, however, lacked new Asian - American plays being written. Less than ten years later, The Asian Exclusion Act theater Seattle and the Asian American Theater Workshop in San Francisco, began developing plays that were written by Asian - American playwrights, for Asian - Americans. They voiced the opinion of Asian - Americans on the politics and society of their time, and how it specifically affected them as Asian - Americans. From this, came the first Asian - American playwright to have a major production in New York in 1972: Chickencoop Chinaman by Frank Chin.
In recent years, some Asian - American playwrights have written popular plays not just for the Asian - American community, but for all audiences, and have found great popularity. One of these playwrights is David Henry Hwang who has had his plays performed on Broadway.